The Pittsburgh Steelers currently hold the second spot in the AFC North, trailing behind the Baltimore Ravens. They have a 5-3 record as of week 8 and appear to have a strong chance at a potential Super Bowl run this season, despite the persistent “Fire Canada” chant directed at the offensive coordinator, Matt Canada.
The Steelers recently rebounded from a disappointing 10-point loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars with a hard-fought 20-16 victory over the Tennessee Titans. However, in week 8, rookie wide receiver George Pickens made headlines due to his frustration with the game.
George Pickens Steelers contract
After getting selected by the Steelers in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft, Pickens signed a 4-year, $6,752,179 contract with the team. The deal included a $2,090,676 signing bonus as well as $3,102,593 in guaranteed value, along with an average annual salary of $1,688,045, via Spotrac.
In 2023, the young star is set to earn $1,011,917 in base salary. He will also have a cap hit of $1,534,586 and a dead cap value of $2,579,924 this season. In 2022, his base salary was $705,000, along with a signing bonus of $523,000, while carrying a cap hit of $1.2 million as well as a dead cap value of $3.1 million.
Pickens removes the Steelers reference from the IG profile
In the Steelers’ Week 8 victory over the Tennessee Titans, George Pickens, the rookie wide receiver, had a disappointing performance. He managed only two receptions for minus-one yard and missed a potential touchdown. Frustrated by his performance, he expressed his feelings by sharing an Instagram story with the caption “Free me.”
The second-year star later deleted the story but came up with another activity by removing almost all photos of him that identify him as a Steelers footballer and also changing his profile image to one from his high school days. The WR also unfollowed the team’s quarterback Kenny Pickett, the Steelers coach, Mike Tomlin, as well as the team’s official account.
Pickens recorded 30 receptions for 521 yards along with three touchdowns. Do you think that rookie athlete took unnecessary roughness towards him despite a win? Share your opinions in the comments.
